That Which Lies Beneath
by littleopheliac
Summary: I am writing this for myself if I'm honest, but feel free to R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Silver stars penetrated the velvet blanket above Narcissa as she lay in the wet grass alone in the middle of the night. She had done the same thing every night since her husband Lucius had been captured and taken to Azkaban. Heavy rain crashed against her porcelain skin, making her tears barely noticeable as she wept silently in to the black night.

She slowly pulled herself up, leaning against the remains of a tree as she inhaled the sweet scent of wet grass and closed her eyes, tears burning her cheeks like acid. Narcissa let out a deep sigh as she descended to the floor once more, bringing her knees to her chest, shielding herself from her own bitter heartbreak as she continued to weep for what she had lost.

The silence made her feel safe; ensured that no one would see her weaknesses, she let it wrap around her like a blankets, tucking herself in until she was completely lost.

Cold winds invaded the sky tickling her pale skin, causing her to shiver every so often. She found herself consumed with self-doubt, wondering if anything could make her feel less hurt, less hateful, and more herself. It seemed as though she had lost who she was at her husbands disappearance. She could barely remember to breathe without him, and she despised knowing this.

Narcissa's body tensed and her head shot up at the sudden feeling that someone was watching her. Icy blue eyes began to search desperately in hopes of nothing, emptiness, but as her gaze continued to trace the forest her breath stopped and her heart began to pound harshly against her ribcage.

Moonlight beamed, reflecting up on tresses of long blonde hair and a snow white complexion. Narcissa immediately choked back her tears and jumped to her feet as the figure began to shy away from the light. "Lucius?" she called, her voice straining, her mind hopeful. "Is that you?"

If she had have composed herself for a second longer she wouldn't have even let her hopeful words escape, she knew it couldn't be Lucius, he was in Azkaban. Whoever it was continued to back away, their own breathing becoming deeper at the realization that they had just disturbed none other than the heartless Mrs Malfoy. "Stop." Narcissa hissed, her cold voice slicing through the air with confidence and warning.

"I'm, I'm so sorry Mrs Malfoy, I, I didn't mean to disturb you. I, I thought the forest would be empty." came a shaky voice as Narcissa glided closer towards the shadow, her head held high. "I-"

"Lumos." Narcissa's voice was calm, her eyes widened in amusement at the trembling girl who was now clearly visible before her. "Little Luna Lovegood." she spat, her words accentuated as they dripped from her perfectly painted lips. "What are you doing here?" her eyes danced over the younger witch as she towered above her in black stiletto's.

"I, uh, I was just walking, I like the dark... and I didn't think anyway would be here." A terrified Luna stuttered in reply "I am so sorry." The older witch continued to stare intently as Luna picked at her hands, avoiding eye contact. She could smell the fear spreading through the midnight air as she smirked to herself, feeling a sense of power once more.

A sudden intrigue plagued Narcissa's mind as she leant closer to the teenager. "Are you alone? How long have you been watching me?" she breathed, the tip of her wand resting against the tender skin that lined Luna's neck. "I said, how long?" she breathed again, this time with a hint of warning.

"Why were you crying?" the younger girl felt her heart stop as she flinched at the realization that she had just said that out loud, the wind suddenly picking up as if it were expressing the rage that had began to coarse through Narcissa's veins. Luna's eyes filled with fear as she tried to back away.

"What did you just say?" her voice was furious as she traced her preys movements, trapping her against a tree as the tip of her wand pressed further in to her flesh, drawing a small amount of blood to the surface. "I do not cry, I am not weak." she cursed, running her free hand through Luna's golden locks before gripping tightly to a handful and forcing the young witches head back

"Please." Luna begged, a fresh tear lingering on her warm cheek. "I didn't mean-"

Narcissa loosened her grip slightly as she lapped up the fear that contaminated the air between them. "You do not breathe a word of this Luna, do you understand me?" her heavy breath crashed against the girls sensitive skin, and she nodded ferociously as a gentle shiver worked its way through every segment of her small frame.

Without thinking the young witch reached forward and took Narcissa's hand gently in her own, placing a warming kiss up on her sullen cheek before swallowing as a lump formed in her throat as she took a step back and stared in awe, her eyes fixated on blood red lips. Narcissa froze as an abandoned, yet welcome feeling swept over her body, she felt desirable.

As they stood, rain trickling over their still bodies, their fingers laced together and moonlight their only witness, Mrs Malfoy thought back on her life. Everything had always been decided for her, to uphold the image of power and perfection, and everything had been, well, shit. For the most part, her entire existence had been feeling less and thoughtless. Then there was this young, beautiful witch, her eyes sparkles brighter than diamonds as the moonlight pierced through them.

Her touch, her warmth, her fear of Narcissa made a thousand emotions race through the older ladies soul at the same time, and Luna's grip on her hand only became more evident as she ran a soft finger over the ageing skin, attempting to regain her attention.

Instantaneously, the woman pulled herself from her mind and smiled slightly at the girl before her, her frail fingers wading between strands of golden hair as she eyed her up and down as if she were hers for the taking. The young girl blushed as an overpowering rush ploughed to her core, enforcing her appetite for Mrs Malfoy. Her teeth sank in to her lower lip as she felt cold fingers run through her hair and caress her neck, tracing her collarbone before resting on her shoulder.

Luna looked up, her eyes full of lust, her body shaking with longing and fear. She let out a sigh, an invitation to carry on, desperately hoping that Narcissa's reaction would be as she hoped.

Hormones surged through the usually emotionless witch, and without further thought or hesitation, she pinned the girl against the tree, forceful kisses from her scarlet lips laced Luna's cheeks, her head and then her mouth. Narcissa's advances were gratefully received as the younger witch parted her lips, permitting entrance in to her mouth as she allowed her school robes to land at her feet, her hands eagerly tugging at the long silky dress that clung to Narcissa's frame.

Suddenly the older witch took a firm hold of Luna's wrists as she broke the connection, shame pounding in her head and her heart. "We can not do this. This is wrong, this is disgusting." her voice dripped with disdain as she backed away, rearranging her dress. "Jesus Christ, Luna, you're just a girl- I am not going to do this, this disgusting little game of yours. I have a reputation, I am a powerful woman... you, you are a weird little school girl with nothing to lose." the venom continued to pour from her mouth. The young blonde simply gave her a sympathetic look. "I just thought, well, I wanted to make you smile, to forget the sadness." she breathed, almost inaudible. "You care too much, you're prettier when you break the mould."

Narcissa watched as the odd girl bent down and pulled on her robes. "I'm sorry Mrs Malfoy, truly I am." her voice almost a song, covering the disappointment she felt. "I won't bother you again, I didn't mean to upset you." she turned to face the darkness of the forest in order to leave and felt a sudden warmth as Narcissa's arms closed around her waist from behind. "Wait." she whispered. "Maybe we can just talk?" she pleaded, unsure what she really wanted.

"Curious!" she small voice replied, spinning to face Narcissa. "I never had you down as a coward." her words were slightly more confident as her eyes brushed over the older witches features.

"What?" Narcissa sounded both confused and offended by what she was hearing. "I'm not a coward!" she insisted, her eyebrows furrowing as she glanced back at the girl. "Well Mrs Malfoy, I don't think you want to talk, you're just afraid of tainting your perfect image."

Her words rang true in the woman's ears, causing her to frown in response. "I am not a coward!" she insisted once again, beginning to grow frustrated at how easily she had been sussed, she had never even spoken to the girl before. Luna raised her eyebrows in amusement "Okay." she muttered, not wanting to enrage Narcissa, she knew she was a much more powerful witch than herself. She didn't have to say another word, and shock spread through her body as Narcissa pushed her to the floor, climbing on top of her as her cold dark lips pressed against the girls wet skin.

With one wave of the woman's wand, Luna was exposed and she shivered slightly as the cold air rinsed over her skin and the rain continued, although now only drizzled. Narcissa did not speak a word, the only sounds she made were soft sighs of admiration as she allowed herself to trace the girls body, lapping up her salty essence with gentle flicks of her tongue. Luna bit her lip as the simple touch left her overwhelmed with pleasure, her breathing intensified as Narcissa's hands began to work their way to her breasts, taking a nub between her forefinger and thumb, applying gentle pressure. Try as she might, young Luna could not control herself as she let out a gasp of approval, causing Narcissa to jump back.

"What am I doing!" she spat, seemingly shocked, as if she had only just realized the situation she was in. "I can not, fuck, I'm married, I have a son your age." her voice was shaking and on the surface, full of regret. "Fuck. You should go, I should go, I am sorry." her words sounded infectious as they penetrated the night air. Narcissa apparated without another word, leaving a confused Luna stood hopeless and alone in the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Luna shut the door and slipped out of her wet robes as the water trickled from the shower. She had continued to trail the forest for some time after Mrs Malfoy had left, she wasn't really sure what it was, but something about the older witch fascinated her. She shivered slightly as she stepped in to the shower, allowing the warm water to flow over her cold skin. When she eventually emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she was hit with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and so she collapsed back on to her bed, there must have been a thousand thoughts twirling inside of her head, and at a furious speed too.

As she led in silence she cleared her mind of everything but events of the night, replaying them over and over in her head as she let out a sigh of longing.

"What's wrong?" asked a familiar voice. Instantaneously Luna's eyes shot open as she rolled on to her stomach to face the door. "Dad-" she said, sounding surprised. She had been so consumed of her newest memory that she hadn't even acknowledged him lingering in the door way, looking somewhat expressionless. "How long have you been there?" she asked curiously, as her big blue eyes drifted away to the cracks that had appeared in the ceiling some time ago.

"Long enough to know there's something on your mind." he replied gently. "Do you want to tell me what it is?" His eyes were so caring as he gazed up on his young daughter. "No, I'm fine dad, really. Nothing is wrong. I'm just tired, you know? It's late." Her voice was dainty and small, but she reassured him with a beaming smile, as she always did. "I should get some sleep." She watched him, her eyes swimming with innocence as he smiled back without another word, closing the door behind him as he made his way back to his own room.

The dreamy girl fell back in to her pillows, smiling to herself as she began to hum a gentle melody. Her fingers dancing to the rhythm, lacing in her long blonde hair as her eyes began to close and she drifted in to a deep sleep, undisturbed and peaceful.

When Luna awoke the next day, the morning had already passed. She sat up and let out a yawn, stretching her arms above her head as she smiled to herself.

She pulled herself from under the covers, still half-asleep and in a daze as she pulled on clean underwear and a deep purple, knee length dress. She wearily moved towards the mirror, sighing as she dragged a brush through her unruly hair. Once she had managed to tame it slightly, she slid her feet in to a pair of converse and tied the laces, once again humming to herself as she grabbed a small box and made her way down to the kitchen.

"Morning dad!" she smiled, her voice almost a song. Her father, Xenophilius shot her a gentle smile as he looked up. "Going somewhere Luna?" he asked. "Just for a walk in the woods, it's a lovely day." She continued to hum, as she moved towards the window, taking in the familiar view. The rain had stopped and the sun was burning a bright blaze in to the blue sky. "I'll see you later dad, have a good day." she sang, stepping outside, the sun's warmth instantly shining down on her, as she inhaled the sweet scent of flowers.

She wandered in to the woods, quite unsure of where she would end up. There was a soft breeze that caused the trees to dance as she began to skip, gripping tightly to the box she had taken from her room. Instantaneously, she stopped and sat on the floor, opening the box she had been carrying. Inside were a few sheets of paper, a small collection of paints and a paintbrush. She took them out, laying them on the floor in front of her, as her eyes wandered, looking for something to paint.

Finally she settled her attention on a strange looking bird, the forest was peaceful and had always been one of her favourite places to spend warm days, and she especially loved to be creative. She took a sheet of paper, and picked out a paintbrush. Her body swayed side to side as she sang quietly to break the silence, capturing the detail in the small, magnificent creature. Soon she was lost in her own world of colours and shapes.

As she sat on the ground, moving her brush over the page in swift motions, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Art had always made her feel free, and happy, so she began to sing more loudly.

"Be quiet!" a cold voice suddenly demanded. Luna's eyes darted around the woods, trying to trace where the sound had come from, but she couldn't see anyone at all. "Curious!" she said gently, talking to herself.

"Luna?" a voice questioned from behind her, the young blonde turned her head and gazed up at the older witch. "Oh, Mrs Malfoy? Hi." Luna replied, looking somewhat confused, as her big blue eyes wandered audaciously over her adult frame. "Sorry if I disturbed you again." she added with a wide smile. Narcissa's eyes drifted over the quirky blonde and fell to the piece of paper in front of her. "What's that?" she asked, looking less then interested. Luna handed it to her "I like to paint beautiful things. That's all."

"It's good Luna." Narcissa replied, sounding shocked. "Really good." The dreamy blonde stood up to face her with a beaming smile. "I could paint you if you like?" she suggested. The older witch shook her head, scrunching her face slightly. "Go back to painting beautiful things."

"But you are-" Luna started, daringly grasping the woman's wrist as she turned to walk away, "I mean, I would really like to paint you." she looked at Narcissa, pleading with her eyes. "You want to paint me?" the dark witch asked, clearly feeling flattered by the proposal. Luna gave a silent smile as she nodded, gently directing Narcissa in to position.

The dark of night had weaved it's way in to the sky as Luna began to paint the woman she desired. It was a little awkward at first, neither of them sure what to say. "Mrs Malfoy, could you move slightly to the left please?" she asked gently. "Maybe you should call me Narcissa?" the older witch suggested, following her direction. The young girl nodded silently in reply.

A million tiny stars quickly formed above, as the moonlight beamed down on them. Luna had began to relax letting out gentle whispers of song. "Narcissa, Narcissa... by the silvery shadows of moonlight, you will always find a star." she flashed an innocent smile at the older witch who suddenly found herself blushing and quickly cleared her throat. "Have you finished?" she asked, seemingly impatient. The young blonde simply nodded and handed her the painting, packing her things back in to the box.

When she turned her attention back to Narcissa, she couldn't help but smile as she noticed the expression on her face. "Thank you." she said simply, her usually cold voice seemingly a little warmer, as she cast a small smile back at the strange girl. "I look so.." her voice trailed off. "You are beautiful Narcissa, maybe you don't feel it any more, but you are."

Narcissa turned to face the younger girl, amazed that she could be so perceptive as to notice what those closest to her had not. She leaned in slightly to kiss her on the forehead, and too her surprise their lips met, pulling her in to a tender kiss, which she found herself unable to break away from.

Luna's hands began to wonder, her lips still locked with Narcissa's, as she caressed her body with gentle touches. She could sense the older woman's nerves as her hand wandered under the silky material of her dark green dress, letting it linger between her trembling thighs, her slender fingers tracing the lace underwear. Narcissa let out a gasp, and before she knew it Luna's fingers were buried softly inside of her. By now the her eyes were shut, as the younger witch began to explore, causing her to let out a quiet moan of pleasure. She hadn't been touched so attentively as this since her and Lucius were first married.

Her eyes flew open as the memory hit her, and she immediately placed her fingers around Luna's wrist, stopping her movements as she slid her hand out and carefully dropped it to her side.

"I, I, we shouldn't have done that. This can't happen!" Narcissa exclaimed as the guilt began to consume her. "I have a family; a child, and a husband, who I love." her head dropped to the floor. "And yet you feel so alone, don't you?" Luna's wide eyes were cased with sympathy as they stared up at her in question. "Go, Luna. I need you to go." she said, her voice growing cold once more. The young girl picked her box up from the floor, remaining exactly where she stood. "Didn't you here me you little freak?" Narcissa spat. "Go! Leave!" the guilt in her voice was clear.

"I know you're lonely, I'm lonely too! Narcissa, I want to make you feel happy and beautiful again, that's all." Luna's words were passionate and strong, though her voice still quiet. The dark witch slowly looked at her, her icy blue eyes reading the young girl for any trace of a lie. "Why? Why not go and find someone else, someone who can love you?" she questioned, becoming frustrated.

Luna stepped forward, taking Narcissa's hand and placing it on her chest. "Do you feel that?" she whispered. "Every time you look at me, my heart races... what other reason do you need?" She shrugged her shoulders and handed Narcissa her painting, smiling sympathetically as she turned around and headed home without another word.

Narcissa apparated home, dropped her dress to the floor and climbed under the covers, completely overwhelmed. Her eyes gazed in wonder at the painting that the young witch had done for her, before turning to the window and immediately fixating on the moon. She found herself overcome with thoughts of the dreamy blonde as she leaned back against her pillows, letting her eyes close.

"By the silvery shadows of moonlight, you will always find a star." her song barely a whisper as she drifted in to darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

The older witch found herself in a highly irritable mood when she awoke the next morning. It seemed she had woken several times during the night, overwhelmed with guilt and confusion.

She had her morning shower, as usual. A while after she had emerged from the bathroom; Narcissa found herself still wrapped in a towel, sitting at her dresser and staring at her reflection. She grimaced slightly as she took note of her eyes, and the dark circles that appeared beneath them, she much preferred how Luna had painted her. She stood and moved across the room, slipping in to clean underwear and a long, dark grey dress and quickly headed down the stairs, in to the kitchen.

She ordered one of the house elves to make her tea, before dismissing him with a wave of her hand. As she took the cup to her lips and began to take light sips of the steaming beverage, she found herself, once again, consumed in deep thoughts of the young blonde.

She let out a heavy sigh, as she placed the mug on the table in front of her, bringing her head to her hands. What was she thinking? Luna was a child, and a weird one at that. If Bellatrix were to find out... well, she couldn't even bring herself to imagine the consequences, but she very much doubted that the young blonde would be worth it, in fact she was sure.

That was it. Narcissa would go and find her tonight, and put a stop to all of this madness.

First though, she had to brace a visit Diagon Alley with Bellatrix. After a while, she pulled herself from her thoughts and headed to find her sister. "Ready?" she asked, flattening her dress as the dark witch stood. Without a word, they apparated out, landing outside Amanuensis Quills with a pop.

The day seemed to pass at a nauseatingly slow pace; Narcissa usually adored shopping, she was really good at it. Today, however, the bustling crowds of hurried shoppers and the conversation she had envisioned later with Luna were enough to disturb anyone. Above all, Bellatrix was moody, and every word she spoke to her younger sister seemed callous. She couldn't wait to get back to the manor and away from all of it.

Once they had gathered all of the supplies that they needed; Bellatrix grabbed Narcissa's hand and apparated back to Malfoy Manor, where she dropped her bags to the floor, causing the bang to startle the blonde. "What's going on with you Cissy? And don't say nothing, you've been in your own bloody world all day!" she hissed, causing the house elves to leave the room at quite a pace.

Narcissa glided across to where the dark witch stood, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'm just tired, love, that's all." she said with a gentle sigh. "Why don't you come and lay with me?" she tilted her head slightly, anticipating her sisters response and held out her hand. Their fingers laced together as they ascended up the stairs, and crawled beneath the covers.

Within moments of being wrapped in the familiar comfort of her sisters arms, the blue eyed witch was asleep, her light breaths filling the room as she dreamt. They had been so distant lately, Bellatrix was always busy, fulfilling her duties to the dark lord, as was Draco. And with Lucius in Azkaban, the younger sister was almost always alone, but right then, they were together and Narcissa felt like herself again.

By the time she awoke, Bellatrix had disappeared, leaving no indication of when she would be returning. Narcissa let out a disappointed sigh as she pulled the covers off and sat up. She reluctantly glided across to her dresser, fixing her hair and reapplying her lipstick, before slipping her shoes on and descending down the stairs and out of the door to find Luna. It was still daylight and the sun seemed to be shining brighter than it had in a while, making the forest glow as she paraded through.

She eventually found the young blonde, and as she did, her nerves caught up with her causing her to turn away. "Narcissa?" came the dreamy voice. "Is that you?" The woman stood still and bit her lip, she would have to face her now, and she hadn't even decided what she would say. She quickly composed herself and turned to face Luna, who was staring up at her, wide eyed and smiling. "I wasn't sure you'd come back." she said, seeming happy that she had.

Narcissa stared at her for a moment, trying to form the appropriate words in her head, before letting them escape her scarlet lips. "Look, Luna." she began, in a serious voice. "This is not happening, It simply cannot. I understand that I may have given you the wrong impression in our previous meetings, and I for that I apologise, but I am in no way interested in you. It was simply a regrettable moment of weakness on my part, do I make myself clear?" her voice was callous and cold and she refused to even look at the young girl.

The younger witch quickly rose to her feet, standing just inches in front of Narcissa and let out a sigh, almost as if she had been expecting this to happen. She didn't want to enrage the older woman, but she simply couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"Meetings? A moment of weakness?" her voice was just as warm and dreamy as always as she spoke. "I don't think you can call our time together meetings, and what happened.. well it happened more than once, so I doubt that qualifies as a moment of weakness either." she said, her voice trailing off, as her eyes drifted up to the sky.

Narcissa quickly felt the embarrassment overcome her, causing her to grow frustrated. "Fine, would you like an honest answer? I guess I must have been struck with temporary insanity, because there is no way that anyone in there right mind would even consider any kind of relationship, or connection for that matter, with a hopeless little freak such as yourself! Especially not me!" she hissed, venom dripping from her words. She seemed to have returned to her cold nature without reason, but some how the quirky girl didn't seem affected in the slightest, remaining close.

Luna stayed silent as she finally took in the view of the woman who had now been there for some time. Her eyes seemed heavy, and if you looked closely you could see fear flickering beneath the icy blue surface. The young witch decided she didn't want to upset Narcissa any further, so she took a step back and nodded, the same sweet smile painted on her lips. "Curious." she breathed, her quirky voice almost turning the word in to a question. "You're afraid of something. When you want to talk about it, you know where to find me."

Narcissa closed her eyes, what was it about this girl? How could she unravel her so easily? If she was honest, she found it quite irritating. The only other person who had ever been able to get close enough to see her secrets without permission was Bellatrix, and that was because she was a highly skilled legilimens. She sighed gently, slowly opening her eyes, but Luna was gone.

She decided to stay in the forest for a while, half hoping the young blonde would return, but there was no sign.

After about an hour she apparated back to the manor, to find nothing but a house elf, no sign of her older sister or her son anywhere. She groaned to herself as she took a seat in one of the large chairs at the table, and as soon as the house elf bought her tea, she dismissed him with a nod of her head. The lonely woman stared in to the hot beverage, instantaneously getting lost in her own thoughts as the liquid swirled below her tired eyes. "I'm old enough to be her mother." she muttered, shaking her head as she placed the cup on the table and pulled herself back to reality.

"Who's mother?"

Narcissa quickly turned, to find her sister hovering in the doorway, her eyes wide with question. "Christ Bella, you made me jump!" she snapped, diverting her eyes to the table, in attempt to avoid her gaze. Her body tensed as she heard Bellatrix moving towards her. "Cissy? You're old enough to be who's mother?" she asked again, this time her voice a little more stern.

The blonde froze as she searched her mind, frantically, for a believable answer, but to no avail. "Do you want coffee? I'll go and find one of the house elves." she said evasively, rising from her seat and attempting to cross the room. The raven haired witch scoffed at her sisters attempt to ignore her question and took hold of her arm. "Who?" she asked again, her dark eyes raging beneath the surface as she searched her siblings face for a clue.

Narcissa struggled, attempting to break the connection. "What are you talking about?" she muttered, her voice almost inaudible as the air grew colder between them, and her icy blue eyes fell to the floor. The dark witch tightened her grip, digging her nails in to the pale flesh beneath them. "Don't even try and play dumb with me, Narcissa!" she roared, causing her younger sister to flinch as she let out a whimper. "Bella, I swear, it's nothing.. I wouldn't, you know that!" she groaned quietly, forcing her eyes up to meet the older witch's, in hopes that it would convince her.

A freezing silence cursed the manor for a few moments before she released Narcissa's arm. The younger sibling immediately left the room, retiring back to her bedroom and taking a seat on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest as a guard. Bellatrix followed, her dark eyes fixated on every movement. "Cissy, you better not be lying." she warned, raising her eyebrows, as she crossed the room towards her.

Narcissa shot her sister an innocent smile as she fell back on the bed, prompting the raven haired witch to lay besides her. She knew that nothing good could come of Bellatrix learning the truth, besides it was over now, there was no need to say anything at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Luna wandered aimlessly around the forest; exploring, and admiring the different plants and creatures she came across. Her airy voice echoed off the trees as she whispered songs of the moon under a black sky. It had been almost two weeks since she had seen Narcissa, though to her dismay she had spent most of her time thinking about her, and she was beginning to feel lonely again.

She had been in the forest for most of the day, and usually she found it was extremely relaxing. Right then however, the young girl jumped slightly as she heard what sounded like footsteps emerging from behind her. She quickly turned but there was no one there. In fact it seemed to have grown quieter, with no sign of life anywhere. The cold air swarmed around her, causing her skin to prickle as her blonde hair blew furiously under the breeze.

She remained still for a few moments, her grey eyes taking in her surroundings as they searched vigorously between the trees for the source of the sound. Her heart stopped beating almost instantaneously, as her eyes met a shadowed figure, pale skin and raven hair. The venomous sound pierced her ears as Bellatrix cackled wildly, parading through the woods and waving her wand. Her dark eyes tracing the area for any sign of potential victims.

Luna took a few steps backwards, careful not to catch the dark witches attention as she crouched down behind a large tree. She waited in complete silence as the violent cackles faded in to the distance and silence fell over the forest once more. The blonde let out a sigh, slowly rising to her feet as she contemplated how lucky she had been.

Her relief was short-lived, as a small but strong hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder. She swallowed hard, hoping that it was her imagination, but the grip only tightened. Luna slowly turned to face her fate; her curious eyes widening in surprise as they met the tall, slender witch. "Narcissa, what are-?" she began, her voice muffled as the older woman's hand covered her mouth, silencing her.

"Keep your voice down." the woman replied, pulling her hand away from the young girls face and lowering it to her side. Her icy blue eyes seemed to shift for a few prolonged seconds before fixating on the blonde before her.

Luna gazed up at her, seemingly unscathed, as a wide grin spread across her face. "I'm serious!" Narcissa continued; her blue eyes flashing as they examined the girl. Luna had always said, if you looked in to anybody's eyes, if you really looked, you would always find a story untold. She was right of course, at least almost always. She gazed in to Narcissa's eyes just long enough to envision the fear swimming beneath the surface, but suddenly her concentration was broken as the woman began to speak. "My sister is raging, you need to leave, it's not safe. If she finds you…" her voice trailed off.

The younger witch cautiously reached forward, gently taking one of Narcissa's hands in her own. "It's okay, just breathe." she said. "What's happened?" Her dreamy voice echoed in the darkness for a minute, bouncing softly from the trees and rippling through the dusky air. Narcissa's eyes glazed over her eccentric clothing, and she promptly pulled her hand away as a serious look spread across her face. "I don't know." she replied, sounding quite unnerved. "Bella... She's completely lost it."

Luna had to bite down on her tongue to keep from laughing; as far as she, and many others were concerned, Bellatrix was far from sane. Her mind began drifting as she attempted to conceal both her thoughts, and the amused smile that was fighting it's way to her lips. Her thoughts were once again interrupted by the older woman's voice. "Seriously Luna, I've never seen her so out of control, not like this. You need to go home, and stay away from here!" she sounded both irritated and desperate as the words left her scarlet tinted lips, almost as if she cared about her. Narcissa realized this almost immediately, causing her to automatically readjust her stance and quickly cleared her throat. Emotion, even when warranted, was not something to be shared so openly. "Well, I have warned you." she said, her voice rapidly growing colder as she turned on her heels and left, following in the general direction of her darker sister.

The young girl stood as still as a statue as she watched Narcissa leave. She wanted to call out to her, or chase after her, but she wasn't sure as to the reaction she would receive in return. Instead she simply watched as the slender woman faded further from her reach, in to the dark night and disappearing in a subtle cloud of smoke.

As she stood alone in the seemingly lifeless forest, she felt something she had never really experienced before. The expression on her face quickly changed to one of discomfort as an overwhelming sense of panic set in, yet she remained motionless as if she was frozen to the spot. Her mind grew foggy as she attempted to arrange the thoughts in her head, but she simply became more confused. She closed her eyes and immediately saw Narcissa's face, heard the words she had spoken- and the desperation in her voice. She slowly opened them again, facing nothing but darkness.

Deciding to take the advice of the older witch; she turned towards home, and began to venture through the forest. The sky now black, without a single star in sight. Her only source of light was the silvery blue shadow of the moon, and that wasn't much at all. It was almost as if the world was dying out all around her, and no matter how she tried, it seemed impossible to shake the anxious feeling that was rapidly growing in the pit of her stomach.

By the time Luna arrived back home, it seemed that she was not alone in her sense of panic. Her father had pushed the door open before she had even arrived. There he stood, breathing erratically, paler then Luna had ever seen him before. His eyes almost brimming with tears, and one of his hands clutched desperately to the chain around his neck, he ushered the blonde in to the house nervously peering outside before pulling the door shut behind them.

Inside was an incredible mess. The young girl almost tripped over cups and plates that seemed to have found a resting place up on the floor as she attempted to make her way to one of the chairs across the room. She was so focused on avoiding the china that it took her a few moments to realize that the house was in darkness, with only a single candle flickering in the center of the room. Her father hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she had returned. His eyes were still jumping around the room as he exhaled a heavy breath, finally letting go of the chain around his neck. "I have been so worried!" He said in a hushed voice. "I thought... Luna, you mustn't go wandering around on your own anymore, do you understand? It's not safe, dark times are up on us." The concern in his voice was obvious, and the young blonde watched as he trailed his fingers over the necklace he had always worn.

Luna gave a nod in reply, she had never seen him in such a state. It had to be serious, she thought, as she sat back in the chair. A few hours had passed when she felt a sudden cold presence burn through her veins causing her to jolt. Readjusting her bright blue eyes to the the dim light of the room she realized she must have drifted off. The house had become extremely cold, and Xenophelius sat silently by the window, watching the night. The young witch groaned, pulling herself to her feet, but her father stayed focused. "Dad?" she said, in her usual dreamy tone, "What are you looking at?" She drifted towards the window where he sat and peered out in to the black, straining her eyes. After a few moments she stood up straight and took a step back. "Dad?!" She said, this time her voice was a little louder. "Why are you looking out there? There's nothing there..."

Right then a familiar cackle pierced the air, echoing around the room as if it had come from inside. The pair crouched beneath the window ledge, holding their breath, careful not to be seen or heard. They remained that way until the storm of sound had passed.

"Maybe you should get some rest." Luna said.  
"You're right. We both should."

The pair exchanged small smiles and headed to their separate rooms. Luna shut her bedroom door and perched on the edge of her bed. She was still confused about the earlier events of the day but her head was beginning to hurt. Pulling her clothes off, and changing in to a night gown, she crawled in to bed.

At Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix and Narcissa were still wide awake. The raven haired death eater bounded around the mansion, leaving chaos in her wake as her younger sister trailed behind her trying to calm her down. Bellatrix however, seemed uninterested in anything that Narcissa had to say, in fact, she still seemed to be distant and somewhat cold towards her younger sibling. Narcissa had made sure to spend all of her time with the death eater since she had voiced her suspicions, but that had only stood to make things worse. She supposed the destruction of her home was better than actually dealing with the raven though, so she reluctantly climbed the stairs, hoping her sister would calm down in her own time. She entered her room and took a seat at her dresser, sighing at her reflection, she looked almost as tired as she felt.

For a brief moment it was relatively quiet. Narcissa changed, pulling on a silk gown. The last few days had passed by so slowly, and it was clear to her that her sisters mental health was deteriorating further. She laid down and rubbed her tired eyes, but no sooner her head had hit the pillow, her door swung open and Bellatrix strode in to the room, wild fire dancing beneath her dark orbs. It seemed she was in for another sleepless night.


End file.
